This invention relates to the recovery of titanium from titanium bearing materials, and in particular to a method of recovering titanium dioxide or titanium metal from a titanium dioxide bearing material.
Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corporation is a large manufacturer of steel using its own unique steel manufacturing process. The slag produced in this steel manufacturing process is rich in titanium dioxide, typically in amounts of 22 to 32% of the slag material.
Pure titanium dioxide is white in colour and is, therefore, a valuable pigment used in many applications such as the production of paints, paper, cement, polymers and the like. The slag produced in the Highveld Steel manufacturing process is an ideal source of titanium dioxide for this purpose. However, there is currently no viable commercial process for recovering the titanium dioxide from the slag material.